Saturday, January 18, 2014

On the Unfair Maligning of Atheists

It occurred to me that a paragraph in Friday’s post probably
warrants a disclaimer or two:

“What sort of miserable, twisted personality seeks to rob
another human being of all the emotional and lifestyle benefits that come with
the Christian life for … for what? So the successful converts to atheism can
hit the bars, brothels and the casinos and ‘eat and drink, for tomorrow we
die’? So they can swell the ranks of the overweight, the suicidal and the
terminally miserable? So they can help bankrupt the health care system? So they
can cheat their employers, slack off and go on welfare because, hey, why not?
So they can scream and wail and fall on coffins at the weddings of loved ones
because that’s all, folks? So they can camp out in the cold with the Occupy
gang and resent the rich and powerful because their only hope is in this life?”

I’m not for a second suggesting that all those who are not believers
in Christ end up abusing drugs, alcohol, food or the welfare system, are
extra-grief stricken at funerals, hate the rich or kill themselves.

Obviously
and evidently that is not the case.

Many people go through life without seriously addressing the
issue of eternity at all. While probably aware of the religious convictions of
people around them, and perhaps even conversant with a few Bible stories and
theological points of view, they are occupied largely with making a living and
entertaining themselves. For most people, work and family consume much of their
time and mental energy, and there have always been numerous pastimes available to
divert the mind. With the advent of the internet and the ubiquitous distraction
of cellphones, I’m surprised anyone in the current generation has time to
string together two coherent thoughts, let alone worry about eternity.

There are moments in life that intrude of course and make
one wonder what it’s all about: Sickness, death, job loss, divorce — but many
people have an amazing capacity to bounce back from these things and to
continue with their lives seemingly without major impact. Of course I am
looking at this from a very western perspective. I believe people suffering
from poverty or under oppressive regimes in third world countries have considerably
more reason to give thought to the meaning of life.

But as long as they have something they believe is
worthwhile or enjoyable to occupy themselves, many non-believing westerners
lead very moderate lives.

Unexamined, but moderate.

However, what I do believe — though it’s entirely
unscientific and based purely on my observations of others over the years — is that
someone who is seeks answers to the meaning of life, embraces the idea of faith in God and
is later talked out of it — or apostacizes without external prompting, for that
matter — is likely to be considerably more unhappy than someone who has never
considered the issue at all.

I suspect also that once rejecting God, he or she is also
less likely to feel the compulsion of certain moral restraints. That thought doesn’t
originate with me.

And, allegedly, atheists and agnostics do have a higher suicide rate. That doesn’t originate with me either.